Band tensioning tool



Feb. 6, 1945.

H. w. CLEVELAND BAND TENSIONING TOOL Filed May 24, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR.

Feb. 6, 1945. H. w. CLEVELAND BAND TENSIONING TOOL Filed May 24, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1945 BAND TENSIONING TOOL Harry W.Cleveland, Kendallville, Ind., assignor to Inland Wire Products Company,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 24, 1943,Serial No. 488,193

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a band tensioning tool of the general typeemployed for securing straps or wires around boxes, packages, crates,bundles and the like, and. the tool which is illustrated as a preferredembodiment of this invention is designed for performing the tensioningfunction independently of the final securement, the latter beingefiected by means of a separate tool.

One object of the invention is to. provide a band tensioning tool whichmay be readily and convenientl engaged with the band and effectivelyoperated for tightening it around an obiect.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a band tensioning toolhaving a movable gripper with connections therefrom to an operatinglever whereby the gripper is automatically shifted to gripping positionwhen the lever is moved in one direction and is automatically releasedfrom the band when the latter is operated in the opposite direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide ditional and overlappingply of the band, and

having a severing tool reciprocably mounted on the gripper and operablefor severing the upper ply when the tensioning and securement of thelower ply is completed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing a package with a band encompassingthe same, and with a tensioning tool applied to the band preparatory totightening it around the package.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, on a larger scale, withportions of the package broken away to condense the view, and with aportion of the handle of the tool broken off.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the fixed gripping meanson the base of the tool disposed in release position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pivoted gripping jaw member of thefixed gripper. Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 but showingthe parts at the completion of the tensioning operation, and with thefastening seal applied in securing position to the overlapped ends.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5, beingfragmentary with respect to the package and having a portion of thecutter lever broken out to condense the view.

Fig. 'I is an end elevation showing the cutter at its inactive positionand indicating in dotted outline the position of its operating leverwhen actuating the cutter blade.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan section taken as indicated at line '8-8 on Fig.5.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cutter blade.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structureembodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and re-arrangements of the parts may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention, and that the same isnot limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except inso far as indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings, a package A is shown with a length of banding materialB wrapped around it so that the free end I of the band is lapped underthe portion 2 thereof and the banding tool which is the subject of thisinvention rests upon the top of the package at a position adjacent saidoverlapping portions and 2. A supply roll of the banding material isshown at B with a portion 3 of said material leading from the rollthrough the tensioning tool. It may be understood that when the band issufliciently tightened around the package A, a suitableseal or clip willbe clamped over the overlapping portions I and 2 to secure them inplace, and the tensioning tool itself will then be removed.

The tool includes a base casting l with a base plate 5, which isrelatively thin and can be slipped between the banding material B andthe face of the package A. Just above the base plate 5 there is shown afixed gripper jaw B, and cooperating therewith is a jaw member I pivotedto the base 4 at 8 and carrying a gripper jaw 9 for engaging the uppersurface of the lower ply of the overlapped portions of the band B. Asthe tension is applied to the upper ply it tends to shift to the right,as seen in Fig. 2, causing the gripper jaw 9 to be swung slightly aboutthe pivot 8 for more firmly gripping the band: but for initiallyengaging the tool with the band, the jaw member I may be tilted aboutits pivot into more nearly upright position, as shown in Fig 3, thuspermitting the end portion l of the band to be slipped between thejaws'i and 9.

In fact, the band may be introduced between the jaws laterally, and,v atthe same time, the

overlapping p y will be fitted into the guide slot H) which is formed inthe jaw member 1, just above the gripper jaw 9, and an adjacent portionof the band between the parts 2 and 3 thereor may be fitted between thelower jaw ll and-the upper jaw I2 of the tensioning means. Said Jaws I land I2 are carried on a slide I3 mounted on uide rods l4 and I5 whichextend horizontally from one end of the base 4, and said slide isactuated by means of a hand lever l6, which is ful- I crumed on-a pivotIB and connected to the slide by a link ",as shown. However, said linkis not connected directly to the slide member itself, but is pivotallyattached to a short arm l8 of the gripper l2, the latter being mountedon a pivot stud l9 projecting from the side of the slide member l3. Withthis arrangement, when the lever I6 is swung from its initial obliqueand upwardly trending position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, toward itsfinal, approximately horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 5, the linkI! acts in compression as a strut, and operates to rock the jaw memberl2 slightly about its pivot l9 into position for firmly gripping thematerial of the band. But the return movement of the lever l6 exerts atension in the link 11, operating to swing the pivoted jaw l2 intorelease position so that it slides easily over the band as the slide l3travels in response to the movement of the lever l6 for taking hold ofthe band at a new position preparatory to a further tensioning movement.

To supplement this application of gripping pressure, a spring-pressedplunger 20, pocketed in the slide member l3, engages a laterallyextending tail-piece 2| on the pivoted jaw I2 so as to yieldingly biasthe jaw toward its gripping position, but, for initially inserting theband between the jaws II and I2, the tail member 2! may be operated as afinger-piece to swing the jaw l2 to released position, so that the bandmay be inserted between the jaws of the slide l3 with the slide and itsoperating lever H5 at any position in their range of movement.

cut into the lower ply of the band which is held between the jaws 6 and9. When the band is thus severed, its portion 3 may be released from thegrippers II and I 2' by actuating the fingerpiece 2|, as alreadydescribed, and'the lower ply of the band, which is a portion of thecompleted loop, will be readily released by swinging the jaw memberassembly I about its pivot 8, toward upright position,'as shown in Fig.3. This movement is yieldingly resisted by a spring-pressed plunger 32pocketed in one end of the base 4 and impinging against the member I, asmore clearly seen in Fig. 8. The purpose of this yielding plunger 32 isto bias the gripping jaw 9 yieldingly to gripping position, so that itwill automatically take hold ofthe banding material when the latter isinserted in preparation for the strapping operation.

It may be understood that, although the drawings show a fiat band B inconnection with the tensioning tool which is the subject of thisinvention, said tool may be employed for tensioning a round wire or bandof other cross-section,

' with only obvious modifications in'. its gripping As illustrated, thebanding material B is a flat strap, which may be of metal or vulcanizedfiber, but which, at the present time, is preferably made of a laminatedpaper stock; and when the final tension has been applied, as by swingingthe lever l6 toward its horizontal position, illustrated in Fig. 5, ametallic clip or sleeve, such as that shown at 22, is applied to theoverlapped portions l and 2 of the band B by means of any suitableclamping and deforming tool, so that said ends are firmly securedagainst slippage in a position to maintain the tension which has beenapplied. It then remains to sever the closed loop from the portion 3which extends from the supply roll B For this purpose the jaw member 1is formed with a guideway 23, as seen in Fig. 4, and a outter blade 24(see Fig. 9) is slidably mounted in the guideway 23 for verticalreciprocation therein. An actuating lever 25 is pivoted betweenupstanding arms 26, 26, which are secured to the member I, and saidlever is formed with a cam portion 21 arranged to engage a head 28 onthe upper end of the blade 24. A coil spring 29 normally holds the bladeat the upper limit of its movementbut yields to permit the cam 21 toforce it downwardly when the lever 25 is swung to the position shown' indotted outline in Fig. 7. The cutting edge of the blade 24 cooperateswith the upper edge 3| of the gripper jaw 9 in the manner of a shear, sothat when the blade 24 is depressed, it cuts through the upper ply ofthe band, lying in the slot Ill just above the jaw 9, and the formationof the cam 21 is such as to limit the stroke of the cutter blade 24sothat it shall not jaws, such as will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art. Iri applying a band around a package and drawing itthrough the slot l0 and between the gripping jaws II and I2, someinitial tension will ordinarily be secured by direct manual pull, and tofacilitate such application of the band, the guide rod I5 is shownprovided with a broad head I5, which may be employed as a fulcrum pointby pressing against this head IS the thumb of the hand which grips theportion 3 of the band during its initial application.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a band tensioning tool, a base, a lever fulcrumed thereon,gripping means on the base for one end of the band, a slide guided formovement on the base and having a fixed gripping jaw with a cooperatingjaw for the other end of the band pivoted on the slide, and a linkconnecting the lever to the pivoted jaw at a distance from its pivot formoving the slide in response to swing of the lever, the stress of thelink in one direction acting to swing said pivoted jaw into grippingrelation to the fixed jaw and stress in the opposite direction servingto swing said pivoted jaw to release position.

2. In a band tensiom'ng tool, a base, a lever fulcrumed thereon,gripping means on the base for one end of the band, a slide guided formovement on the base and having a fixed gripping jaw with a cooperatingjaw for the other end of the band pivoted on the slide, spring meansbiasing said pivoted jaw toward gripping position, and a link connectingthe lever to the pivoted jaw at a distance from its pivot for moving theslide in response to swing of the lever, the stress of the link in onedirection acting to swing said pivoted jaw into gripping relation to thefixed jaw and stress in the opposite direction serving to swing saidpivoted jaw to release position.

3. In a band tensioning tool, a base, a lever culcr'umed thereon andinitially inclined, swingable toward the base for tensioning a band,gripping means on the base for one end of the band, a slide guided formovement on the base and having a fixed gripping jaw with a, cooperatingjaw for the other end of the band pivoted on the slide, and a. linkconnecting the lever to the pivoted jaw at a distance from its pivot formoving the slide in response to swing of the lever,.

the stress or the link in one direction acting to swing said pivoted jawinto gripping relation to the fixed jaw and stress in the oppositedirection serving to swing said pivoted jaw to release position. 4. In aband tensioning tool, a base, a lever 'fulcruined thereon, grippingmeans on the base for one end of the band, a slide guided for movementon the base and having a fixed gripping jaw with a cooperating jaw forthe other end of the band ivoted on the slide, said pivoted jaw havingan arm with spring means acting against said arm biasing the jaw towardgripping position, said arm being accessible to serve as a finger piecefor manual release of the jaw at will, and a link connecting the leverto the pivoted jaw at a distance from its pivot for moving the slide inresponse to swing of the lever, the stress of the link-in one directionacting to swing said pivoted jaw into gripping relation to the fixed jawand stress in the opposite direction serving to swing said pivoted jawto release position.

5. In a band tensioning tool, a base, a lever fulcrumed thereon,gripping means on the base for one end of the band, a slide guided formovement on the base and having a fixed gripping jaw with a cooperatingjaw for the other end of the band pivoted on the slide, and a linkconnecting the lever to the pivoted jaw at a distance from its pivot formoving the slide in response to swing of the lever, said link acting incompression during the tensioning stroke of the lever and operating toswing the pivoted jaw into gripping position and acting in tension dur-6. In a band tensioning tool, a base, gripping means for one end of theband comprising a jaw fixed on the base and a. cooperating jaw memberpivoted on the base with a gripping portion opposing said flxed jaw,said pivoted jaw member having a guide slot which accommodates a-portionof the band overlapping that which is held by said gripping means, andtensioning means engageable with said overlapping portion of the bandand operable to exert a pull thereon in the same direction in which saidpivoted jaw member swings toward its gripping position.

7. In a band tensioning tool, a base, gripping means for one end of theband comprising a jaw fixed on the base and a cooperating jaw memberpivoted 0n the ba'se with a gripping portion opposing said fixed jaw,said pivotedjaw member having a guide slot which accommodates a portionof the band overlapping that which is held by its gripping means,tensioning means engageable with said overlapping portion, said pivotedmember having a guideway, and shearing means including a knife mountedupon said pivoted jaw member and reciproca-ble in said guideway inshearing relation to the lower edge of the guide slot, and a leverfulcrumed on the pivoted member engaging the knife for reciproeating itat will to sever the band adjacent said slot.

HARRY W. CLEVELAND.

